fire in my belly

Multiple world Supercross Champion Chad Reed has confirmed he will be on the startline for the opening round of the 2011 AMA Supercross Championship, but has turned his back on the security of a paid ride.

Defying the trends of the post GFC world, Reed has opted to take his destiny into his own hands by creating his own race team from the ground up.

After 12 years of racing for factory operations throughout Australia, Europe and the United States, Reed will take the helm as both rider and team owner of the newly formed TwoTwo Motorsports.

“I am at a point in my career where I am motivated and want to race more than I have for a long time,” Reed said.

“This is the best series with the best riders. This is where my heart is at, where my head is at, and this is where I want to be in the championship and challenge for race wins.

“When I first started out in this sport I looked up to and followed the career of Jeremy McGrath and I feel I can draw some parallels to what he went through. One thing that I have learned from him and from my own years of racing at the top of this sport, is that there comes a time when you have to do it your own way.

“I have always wanted to have my own team. When I came back to Australia I knew I still had the fire in my belly and that night in Newcastle when I raced under my own banner confirmed it for me,” he acknowledged.

“I am aware of the hard work and sacrifice it will take, but in my mind the upside is far greater than the downside.

“If, and when, we win races this year they will be the most satisfying of my career. To win a title with my own team would be the most rewarding thing I have ever done.”

TwoTwo Motorsports have recruited a number of known industry personalities to staff the operation and will field a Honda CRF450 with technical support from the global leaders in aftermarket motorcycle performance products, ProCircuit.

“For me Honda makes the most sense. It’s a bike that I’ve chosen to ride and I enjoy riding it,” Reed acknowledged.

“It’s what I would call a racers bike in the fact that it is very light, very nimble, and it just fits my style very well.

“I’m excited to be riding Honda motorcycles and to have Honda’s support with the program and them to be supporting TwoTwo Motorsports,” he said.

The team’s commercial portfolio already has a solid foundation with leading lubrication technology company Bel-Ray today confirming it will partner with Chad and his team for the 2011 season and beyond.

Bel-Ray Company Inc Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Liquori said the new relationship underlined Bel-Ray’s long-term commitment to the sport of Supercross.

“Our legacy is at the core of who we are as a company,” said Liquori. “Our innovative products are designed to perform under extreme conditions, making them the only platform for any strong competitor.

“We’re proud to support Chad Reed as he embarks on this next chapter of his life story. And just as we were there to support the great riders that came before him, we look to stand beside and support Reed for a long time to come,” she added.

Reed has been buoyed by the progress he and his support network have made in a very short timeframe.

“I am absolutely proud of what we have achieved before even hitting the track,” Reed continued.

“I’m super excited to see Bel-Ray coming back into the sport and refocusing their goals and plans on racing at a top level.

“I’m really proud to have them on board and to have a better understanding of their brand and where their brand has come from, what their brand has been about, and to be a part of their re-launch at the top level of racing.”

Further details about TwoTwo Motorsports will be announced in the coming weeks.